Underwater air cleaner



Jan. 12, 1954 J. a. SEBOKA 2,665,771

UNDERWATER AIR CLEANER Filed Feb. 18, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 12, 1954 J, 550 2,665,771

UNDERWATER AIR CLEANER Filed Feb. 18, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .FJIgZ fur/"E17: UP (70529 012 5. 56/60/15 2.757 M @HLL E Patented Jan. 12, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UNDERWATER AIR CLEANER Joseph B. Sebok, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Houdaille-Hershey Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application February 18, 1952,'Serial No. 272,154

70mins. (01. 183-15) This invention relates to improvements in an underwater air cleaner and more particularly to an air cleaner designed for use on military type vehicles, such as jeeps, light trucks, etc., which vehicles frequently travel with the engine and other equipment disposed beneath the hood of the vehicle underwater, although the invention will have other uses and purposes as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

Liquid bath air cleaners are at present deemed most efficient for cleaning air taken into the carburetor of an internal combustion engine. Many of these devices have been developed in the past, but extreme difficulty has been experienced in endeavoring to provide a liquid bath air cleaner that will satisfactorily operate when submerged. It is not just suflicient to provide an air cleaner that will not leak when disposed beneath the surface of a body of water. It is well known that air is drawn through the cleaner by suction from the internal combustion engine, and this suction inside of the cleaner, plus water pressure at a depth below the surface materially adds to the difiiculty of rendering the cleaner water tight. In no instance of which I am aware has a satisfactory underwater cleaner of the liquid bath type been provided heretofore by others.

In addition, devices of this character heretofore made, for open air use, were frequently objectionably expensive in construction, and embodied numerous parts each of which performed their individual function. In the manufacture of air cleaners, especially those for military use, it is essential that the parts be simple in character and as few in number as possible, and for both military and civil use, economy is a highly important factor.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide a, liquid bath air cleaner in which parts heretofore performing an individual function, are arranged to perform several different functions, thus reducing the necessary number of parts.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a liquid bath air cleaner having a spider-like element inside the top of the cleaner which carries the entire filter unit, and the spider element and filter unit are separable when outside the cleaner casing.

Also a feature of the invention resides in the provision of a liquid bath air cleaner incorporating a spider-like element in the upper portion thereof, which single element has a plurality of functions, including the supporting of the filter unit, the sealing of the filter unit against air leakage, holding engagement with the air cleaner casing, and the carrying of unitary means for attaching the filter to the spider element as well'as anchoring the cover securing element. In addition the spider member affords: an easy hand hold for. the removal of itself and the entire filter: unit.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of an air cleaner provided with means adjacent the dirtylair inlet to, insure proper distribution of the incoming, air throughout the cleaner so as to avoid turbulence of the cleansing liquid;

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a liquid bath air cleaner in which the dirty airinlet is partially baffled to hold in cleansing liquid upon tipping Of the vehicle carrying the cleaner.

Also an object of the invention resides in the provision of an underwater liquid bath air cleaner involving means on the filter unit to force the liquid cup into sealing relationship with the casing. f

A further feature of theinvention resides in the provisionof an underwater liquid bath air cleaner which is simple and economical in construction, highlyefficient, and which may readily be serviced entirel from the top thereof.

, While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of, the instant inven-- tion have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which- U l Figure l is a topplan view of an air cleaner embodying principles of the instant invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line II--II of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, this view illustrating the equivalent of a central vertical section through the air cleaner, but showing the section also passing through the air inlet conduit;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the air cleaner structure with the cover removed;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view taken from the left hand side of Fig. 2, to illustrate the2i inlet conduitand. baflle associated therewith; an

, Figure 5 is an enlargedfragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating details of construction, this figure being an enlargement of the upper right hand portion of Fig. 2 immediately below the outlet conduit.

As shown on the drawings:

In theillustrated embodiment of the instant invention there is disclosed a casing I having a closed bottom, an open top, and the casing is imperiorate as to the side walls with the exception of a suitable opening to accommodate an air inlet conduit 2. While the casing I may be fabricated, it is obvious that all joints are made water tight. A cover 3.is provided for the .casing,,this cover being of substantially dome shape, and having a circumferential gasket holding formation for a gasket 4 which seals the cover in a water tight manner over the upper end of the casing l, as clearly seen in Fig. 2. Extending through:a part of the cover is an outlet conduit 5 for cleaned.

air.

It will be understood that the inlet conduit 2 will be connected in a water tight manner to an upstanding tube, commonly referredto a's-a snorkel tube, which will project above the water level even though the vehicle carrying the air cleaner be partially or Wholly submerged. It will also be understood that the outlet conduit fiwill b'e'cone nectedin a watertight manner to theair intake of the "carburetor associated with the internal combustion engine.

The casing may be provided externally with any suitable form of mounting bracket: such as indicatedat 6. q V v Inside the casing, in the lower portionthereof, the casing is shaped to. define a gasket holding formationfor an annular gasket 1. A cup 8 for cleansing 1iquid is disposed'in the bottomof the casing, and this cup is provided with aireversely turned upper margin 9 for bitingand fluid tight engagement with the gasket I. That establishes a fluid tight seal between the cup and easing bottom, so that in the event the vehicle carrying the cleaner tips or lists to one side, no .cleansing liquid fromthe cup can pass between the cup and the casing bottom and thus be lost for operative use.,

As seen clearly in Fig. 2, the cup is inwardly indented as indicated at It) to provide an inner annularshoulder to be contacted by means later to be described carried by a part of the air cleaner and soy forced downwardly to insure a fluid'tight engagementwith the margin 9 and gasket'l. In the bottom portion thereof, the .cup is provided with a suitable handle II by means .of which it maybe lifted outof the casing. I.

Just-inside the open end of the casing I, and

partially extending upwardly within the cover 3,

is a spider-like retaining plate 12 having .apluralityof relatively.largeapertures [3 in the central dome-like portion thereof. ,Outwardbeyond this dome-like portion, the retaining ,plate is .channeled annularlytoreceive and .hold agasket l4. Outwardly beyond the gasket channel, the plate extends laterallyas at. [Band terminates in a circumferential series ,of relatively. wide deispressed downwardly so that the gasket 4 establishes a water tight seal between the cover and casing 1. Another thumb bolt 24 which extends-through a'filter unit may be connected in the bottom end of the nut 22, whereby the filter.

unit is effectively attached to the retaining plate 2 to .be. supported thereby. 1 .Theiilter unit includes an open ended shell 25 provided with a bottom 23 having relatively large openings?! therein, as best seen inFig. "2. In side the. shell '25is'a mass 28 of filtering material ofany suitable character, such for example as wavy wire, curled cattle tailhair, vegetable fiber, etc. Asuitable relatively coarse screen 29 may be provided at the top of lthefilter mass. At the bottom, a baffle 3Sis attached to the underside of the bottom Zfiflthe purpose of this bafile being to limit the amount of cleansing liquid carried into the filter mass 28 by air traveling'through thecleaner. At the lower corner. portion of the shell 25, a plurality (usually three) of spaced feet are provided to bear against the aforesaid shoulderj iii inthe liquid cup 3. Thesefeet force the liquid cup downwardly so that themargin 9 thereof effects a positive seal with the gasket i. v

It will be noted that the shell "25, while being concentricwith the casing Li is ofmuch less di ameter than the casing i so as to leave an air path 32 therebetween leading downwardly toward the liquid sump. Air entering the inlet 2 passes, around the shell. 25, descends to .the curvateshoulder it eithe liquid cup, and then turns upwardly around thelower. end'ofthe shell and passe's'through the filter mass. In order to prevent incoming air, or a more than desired portion thereof, from immediately descending toward the sump inside the conduit 2, without distributing itself evenly through the air passage 32 entirely v around the shellfiii, a baffle 33, Figs. 2 and 4, is provided across the lower portion of the air inlet conduit. Thisbaffie not only causes pressed teeth -or. projections 16, with .relatively wide spaces l1 therebetween, as best seen inFigs. 3 .and 5. Thisplate interlocks with anannular ring 18 secured inside the .upper margin of the casing ,l The inner edge ofthe ring 18. is shaped complementalatoth'e outereeolgeof the plate, and embodies a plurality. of "inwardly extendingrelatively wide teeth or projections is separated by open spaces 20 therebetween, each space zll being 10f sufficient width to receive therethrough one of the teethor projections 16 onthe plate. One end portion of each'of the inward projections !9 on the ring is bent downwardly as indicated at Zl to function as a stop. In connectingtheseparts itis a simple expedient .to' grasp the plate by extending the fingers through the openings 13, inserting the projections 16 of the an even distribution of air to prevent turbulence of cleansing liquid, but it also tends to retain the cleansing liquid within the cleaner casing, in the event the vehicle carrying the cleaner tilts or lists sidewise- Without that baifle 33, some cleansing liquid might pass out through the inlet conduit Zupon a listing of the vehicle, in open air operation. V

'Intopera'tion, air entersthe inlet 2, passes over thebaflle 33, distributes itself gevenly around the path32, descends toward the liquid sump, passes overthe upper face of the bailie and upwardly through the'filter mass, :and cleaned air exists through the outlet conduit 5. The liquid cup 3 is initially filled with cleansing liquid such as crankcase oil to adepth approximating the indentation 34 seen in Fig. 2.

When.the cleaner is serviced, it is a simple expedient to remove the thumb bolt 23, lift the cover off the cleanenleaving itattached to the conduit from the carburetor. By inserting the fingers through the opening it in the retaining plate, the entire filter unit maythen be lifted out of the cleaner. Afterthat, by grasping the handle I l, the liquid cup 8 may be removed from the cleaner. The cup may be emptied of cleansing liquid and accumulated dirt, and replenished with new cleansing liquid. The filter mass need not be serviced as often as the liquid cup, but when it is to be serviced, it may be separated from the retaining plate if desired by the removal of the thumb bolt 24, and swished through kerosene, gasoline, or some other suitable cleansing liquid. In assembling the cleaner for further operation ,it is simply necessary to place the refilled oil cup 8 in the casing I, connect the filter unit with the retaining plate l2, if the same has been removed, thereby forcing the upper margin of the shell 25 in sealing relationship with the gasket l 4, place the filter unit in the casing I, set the cover in position, and tighten the thumb bolt 23. The entire apparatus is then assembled ready for operation, and is completely water tight.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have provided an extremely economical and highly eilicient air cleaner suitable for underwater usage. Means are provided in the cleaner to insure an even distribution of incoming air so as to avoid turbulence of cleansing liquid. Simple parts of the cleaner are given added function; such for example as the retaining plate I2 which not only supports the filter unit, seals the same against leakage, but also interlocks with the outside casing, and holds means for retaining the filter unit as well as means for anchoring the cover in position on the casing. Further, the entire cleaner is easy to install, and very simple to service.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be efi'ected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an air cleaner, a casing having an open upper mouth end, a removable cover therefor, an apertured retaining plate, cooperative interlocking means on said plate and the mouth of said casing, a filter unit depending from said plate inside said casing, said casing having a closed bottom, an annular gasket in said casing adjacent said bottom, a cleansing liquid cup in said casing having a margin for engagement with said gasket, and projecting feet on said filter unit to contact said cup and force the same into sealing relationship with said gasket.

2. In an air cleaner for underwater service, a casing including a body with a closed bottom and a removable cover, said casing having an inlet and an outlet and being sealed watertight when said cover is in place, sealing means around the wall of the casing inside thereof and above the closed bottom, a cleansing liquid cup in the casing having a turned margin for sealing engagement with said sealing means, an annular shoulder in said cup below said margin, a filter unit in said casing, means supporting said unit, and a plurality of outwardly and downwardly extending feet on said filter unitfor engagement with said cup shoulder to maintain the cup margin in sealing engagement with said sealing means.

3. In an air cleaner, a casing assembly having a sump for cleansing liquid in the bottom thereof, a filter unit in said casing assembly open at both ends and of less cross-sectional area than the casing to proi'lide an air 'path around the unit leading toward said sump, an air inlet conduit connected to said casing, said casing having a single air inlet opening atone side of the casing of substantially the same cross-sectional area as said conduit, 'baflie means directly blocking the lower portion of said opening to insure an even distribution of incoming airin the path around said unit, and said casing having an outlet for cleaned air on the other side of said filter unit from said inlet.

4. In an air cleaner, a casing assembly having a sump for cleansing liquid in the bottom thereof, a filter unit in said casing assembly open at both ends and of less cross-sectional area than the casing to provide an air path around the unit leading toward said sump, an air inlet conduit connected to said casing, said casing having a single air inlet opening at one side of the casing of substantially the same cross-sectional area as said conduit, a transverse baffle directly over the lower portion of said opening to insure an even distribution of incoming air throughout said path, a cover forming a part of said assembly and sealing said casing watertight, said cover having an outlet opening therein, and means closing the upper portion of said path around said filter unit.

5. In an air cleaner, a casing having an open upper end, a removable cover therefor, a filter unit in said casing, means supporting said unit from the upper end of said casing, an annular gasket holder on the lower part of the inner wall of the casing, a. gasket carried by said holder, a cleansing liquid cup in the casing having a margin for engagement with said gasket, and feet projecting from said filter unit to contact said cup and hold the margin thereof in contact with the gasket.

6. In an air cleaner for underwater service, a casing including a body with a closed bottom and a removable cover, said casing having an inlet and an outlet and being sealed watertight when said cover is in place, an annular gasket holding formation on the inside of the casing wall above the closed bottom, a gasket carried by said formation, a cleansing liquid cup in the casing having a marginal portion to rest on said gasket, an annular shoulder in the cup below said margin, a filter unit in the casing, means supporting said unit, and a plurality of outwardly and downwardly projecting feet on the filter unit to contact said shoulder and force the cup margin into engagement with said gasket.

7. In an air cleaner for underwater service, a casing including a body with-a closed bottom and a removable cover, said casing having an inlet and an outlet and being sealed watertight when said cover is in place, an annular gasket holding formation on the inside of the casing wall above the closed bottom, a gasket carried by said formation, a cleansing liquid cup in the casing having a marginal portion to rest on said gasket, an annular shoulder in the cup below said margin, a filter unit in the casing, means supporting said unit, and a plurality of outwardly and downwardly projecting feet on the filter unit to contact said shoulder and force the cup margin into engagement with said gasket, said casing having an inlet opening at one side thereof, and a transverse baiiie across the lower part of said opening to prevent incoming air making a direct descent toward said liquid cup.

JOSEPH B. SEBOK.

(References on following page) V 7 References Cited in :the :file of this patent UNlT-EDSIATES PATENTS Name Date Luden Feb. 22, 1910 5 Morris Mar. 1,1927 Kamrath Aug. 15, 1933 Sebok Dec.'17, 1946 Meyerhoefer May '19, I953 Numbef 8 FOREIGN. PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Oct. 20, 1941 France Mar. 28, 1951 Australia Dec. 23, 1941 

